Bovada

Full Review Of Bovada Sportsbook

Gamblers who used to bet on sports via online sportsbooks may remember Bovada quite well. Prior to 2011, Bovada was actually Bodog, one of the biggest players in the industry. Of course, after the UIGEA, Bodog had to let go of its US market, but they changed their domain and started accepting US players again. And with this change also came an expansion, with Bovada increasing its presence, adding many more sports to their selection, including Esports, and really revamping their entire layout for a new era. Holding down a steady A rating since 2011, which is no small feat, Bovada provides its services almost exclusively to players in the United States, but that doesn’t stop the site from really expanding on its sporting selection to an international level. Apart from the wide selection of sports and lines offered, Bovada is also well known for its great customer support, and its responsive software that’s really cutting edge juxtaposed against the simplistic templates used by so many sites today.

Bovada’s calling card is their dynamic betting structures which allow for much more than simply picking winners and losers on a line. From their banking to their ongoing bonuses, Bovada tries to do things a little bigger and better than others in the business. Have they succeeded at creating a winning site for those interested in playing E-sports? Let’s go through some of the site’s finer features to see what’s what.

Security and Licensing of Bovada

When looking into Bovada’s security, what we found was quite impressive. The entire Bodog group, Bovada’s parent company, has earned its perennial A rating due in large part to their tight encryption software and the other secure measures they take in order to keep players safe. Not only do hackers pose a threat to players’ accounts, which would tarnish Bovada’s reputation, but anyone getting into the system could also ruin the integrity of the betting lines, so Bovada goes to great lengths to keep its environment secure.

As far as licensing goes, Bovada is really transparent with its information. The network is 100% certified and is licensed and regulated by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, based in Mohawk territory in Canada. Their status as an offshore gambling site is why they’re able to accept US players into the fold. They’re not beholden to the laws of the United States, and this hasn’t gone unnoticed in recent years by Bovada’s huge American audience.

Bovada Software

Bovada uses in-house software for all its dealings, and this software has actually earned the network much praise. They operate a responsive template, but it stands out as a little superior compared to other responsive designs. Typically is the case with a responsive design that things work to scale, so you will always get a bigger, better experience on a 20″ HD monitor than on your phone. The features will still work with a basic responsive template, but it “responds” in such a way that features are scaled down and sometimes even pushed aside to make room for main features. Bovada’s template doesn’t have these issues. It resizes everything accordingly so you’re getting the same experience on a 5″ phone that you’d get on a 50″ television.

Bonuses and Promotions at Bovada

One potential downside to playing at Bovada is that they don’t really load you up with a lot of bonuses. They have one main welcome bonus and one main referral promotion, which we will speak about directly. For the welcome bonus, you’re looking at a 50% deposit bonus on up to $500, which means that putting in $500 will ultimately result in $250 free. However, it’s not as if you put in that $500 and the $250 is instantly credited to your account. You have to stay for a while and play at Bovada, betting real money on sports. Over time, this money is released to you, in increments, until which point the full 50% of your initial deposit is covered. Where Bovada does stand out is that they release the money to you a little faster without having to risk so much for it. So you won’t be waiting around forever until you receive the money you’re supposedly entitled to. This is a strong point, but having a 100% or even a 150% bonus would be much better, seeing as the site is short on promotions.

You can get more than that 50%, however. If you take advantage of the site’s referral promotion, you can receive a 200% cash bonus for every person you refer who deposits money into the sportsbook. So, if your friend comes along and puts in some cash, this will be matched by Bovada, plus 200%, up to $100. So even if your friend only puts in $20, you still get $60. Depending on how well you do at referring people, this can be quite lucrative.

Bovada Banking Options

Even if a sportsbook has every sport you can think of and huge bonuses, it will fall short unless it also offers you plenty of banking options. Bovada deals specifically with Americans, but Americans have a tough time with credit cards and their personal banks. For some reason, these methods tend to fail. And while Bovada does offer banking options with credit cards and personal bank transfers, they have also expanded to include many more methods that are more reliable. For instance, they have Neteller, Click2Pay, Skrill and Entropay as options, any of which can be reliable for you. But they really up the ante here by also having PayPal and Bitcoin as depositing and withdrawal options. These methods are instant, free, and completely reliable. Having these banking options alone puts Bovada in the upper echelon of sportsbooks operating today.

Bovada’s Esports Betting Lines And Real Money Wagering Options

Before we get into the variety of Esports offered at Bovada, let’s cover their basic sports offerings. They have a wide range of sports, including every popular American sport you can think of. Football, basketball, baseball, hockey, golf, UFC, tennis, racing, and much more are offered. You can also find some international favorites, like rugby, cricket, darts, and more. One cool feature about Bovada’s sportsbook is that they have a racebook built into it, offering you horse racing, including futures and props on the sport. Considering that this is a US-specific sportsbook, Bovada offers a whole lot more than one would expect.

For E-sports, the site really expands this category and allows you to bet on any sort of competitive match that’s happening. For instance, they always have something running for competitive games like League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike, and more. Within these options, you can bet on teams winning, individual players and matches, point spreads, moneylines, and more. While Esports might still be a niche sport that’s not nearly as popular as football or basketball, Bovada provides plenty of betting options that fans will appreciate.

The Benefits of Choosing Bovada Sportsbook

So, why would you choose Bovada over any other sportsbook out there? While researching the site and using its features, we have found quite a few positive benefits that may appeal to the Esports gambler in you. Here are just a few benefits that might help you make your decision:

• Bovada caters specifically to gamblers from the United States
• The site’s software is truly responsive no matter what type of device or OS you’re using
• Their referral bonus can end up being quite lucrative
• There are tons of sporting options
• Their Esports section is very large compared to competing sites
• You can use PayPal and Bitcoin for your banking options
• The site’s customer support is top notch, and they treat people well
• The security at Bovada is ironclad
• You’re going to get an unrivaled experience

Of course, things aren’t all sunshine and roses. We would be remiss not to mention a few of the things we think could use work with Bovada. For instance, they only allow Americans, which limits the audience for props. And that welcome bonus can use a tune-up, at least to the 100% level. Minor gripes, we realize, but these are easy fixes for Bovada.

Overall, what we find from Bovada is a great online sportsbook that treats its members well and works hard to ensure that gamblers always have something to bet on. Throw in some great software, solid customer support, tight security, and a great reputation, and you have a site that’s a true winner. We certainly don’t say this about many sportsbooks, but Bovada has our vote for a sportsbook that any E-sports gambler would love to sign up with.